Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Sanvitalia speciosa cultivar Dittsun.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sanvitalia plant, botanically known as Sanvitalia speciosa and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Dittsunxe2x80x99.
The new Sanvitalia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Deitingen, Switzerland. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Sanvitalia cultivars with numerous inflorescences and attractive ray floret coloration.
The new Sanvitalia originated from a self-pollination by the Inventor of the Sanvitalia speciosa cultivar Aztekengold, not patented. The new Sanvitalia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated self-pollination in a controlled environment in Deitingen, Switzerland in 1997. The selection of the new Sanvitalia was based on its compact and freely flowering habit.
Asexual reproduction of the new Sanvitalia by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Deitingen, Switzerland since 1997, has shown that the unique features of this new Sanvitalia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The new Sanvitalia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of xe2x80x98Dittsunxe2x80x99 and distinguish the new Sanvitalia as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Compact, low mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit and short internodes, dense and bushy plants.
3. Dark green foliage.
4. Freely flowering habit with flowers held just above and beyond the foliage.
5. Single daisy inflorescence form with yellow-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Sanvitalia are most similar to plants of the parent, the cultivar Aztekengold. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Deitingen, Switzerland, plants of the new Sanvitalia differed from plants of the cultivar Aztekengold in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Sanvitalia were more compact than plants of the cultivar Aztekengold.
2. Plants of the new Sanvitalia had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Aztekengold.
3. Plants of the new Sanvitalia had tighter inflorescences (less open form) than plants of the cultivar Aztekengold.